Process of forming nonentangling spring washers



May 3, 1932. E. D. COWLIN 'PROCESS OF FORMING 'NONENTANGLING SPRING WASHERS Filed Jfine 9, 1931 w s 7 WM MM 76 M ma M WI etc.

Patented May 3, 1932 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE EUGENE D. COWLIN, OF MASSILLON, OHIO, ASSIGNOR TO THE RELIANCE MANUFACTUR- ING- COMPANY, OF MASSILLON, OHIO, A CORPORATION OF OHIO PROCESS FORMING NONENTANGLING SPRING- WASHERS Application filed June 9, 1931. Serial No. 543,151.

My invention particularly relates to the aforementioned processes in which the desired purpose, viz., non-entangling of the washers, is accomplished by a device which is g made by first coiling the stock, and then cutting the washers therefrom without alterlng the cross-section of the washer, except as ceri tain other desirable features may be added thereto, such ,as the provision of positive ends, In other words, the finished product has a uniform cross-section at both ends, and

preferably is of uniform cross-section throughout the whole washer, and has not been altered in formation except that the usual stock is of a keystone cross-section and,

as is the common practice, is coiled into washers of rectangular cross-section. The invention includes the improved construction ofspring washers made by my improved procass but the claims of this application are limited to the improved process.

The annexed drawings and the following description set forth in detail certain means embodied in my improved spring washer, and

26 certain steps illustrating the process of forming the same, such means and steps constituting, respectively, only two of the various forms, and a few of the various series of steps, in which the invention maybe embodied or by which the improved process may be carried out.

In said annexed drawings: Figure 1 is a plan view of washerstock wound into a helix having material for three washers, there being indicated in dotted line the plane of a proposed cut by which a washer will be removed from the assembly, there also being indicated by dot-and-dash line a plane which is perpendicular to the axis of the 4 washer, and by a broken line the extension of the upper normal helical surface or plane of the coiled assembly, it being noted that the stock is wound at an angle to the perpendicular plane less than the angle made therewith by the normal helix, so that the stock is wound under an initial tension; I

Figure 2 is a side view of the assembly shown in Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a side view of a washer cut from the assembly shown in Figure 1;

Figure 3a is an enlarged fragmentary view.

ess of making the same and my lmproved construction of the finished product; Figures 6 and 7 are enlarged fragmentary views, taken, respectively, from the planes indicated by the lines 66 and 7 7 Figure 5; Figure 8 is a combination of Figures 6 and 7 which permits a study of the overlap between portions of the two washers shown in the position of Figure 5, which overlap prevents entangling, this view illustrating the oyleiilap when the axes of the washers are para e Figure 9 is a view of the two washers, as shown in Figure 8, when tilted so that the planes of the helices at the ends are substan tially parallel, this being a position in which washers are most likely to entangle, if not formed with my improved construction;

Figure 10 is a plan of a washer made by my improved process and involving my improved construction, which is additionally provided with positive ends; and

Figure 11 is a side view of the washer shown in Figure 10.

Referring to the annexed drawings in which the same parts are indicated by the same respective numbers in the several views, washer stock 1, Figure 1, preferably of keystone cross-section, is coiled upon a mandrel by suitable tools into a helix, the coiling being very close, and under an initial tension produced as illustrated by the plane lines in Figure 1. The plane 19 designates the actual winding plane. 20 designates the plane of the upper normal helical surface in which the stock 1 would be wound, if no axial tension therein were induced. The plane 21 designates that plane which is perpendicular to the axis of the coiled helix and which passes possible.

through the place in the upper or outermost surface of the stock where it is bent or flexed out of the normal helical formation. T herefore, the angle at which thestock 1 is wound is less than the normal helical formation and hence the stock is wound under initial tension. In this winding or coiling, and as is well known to those skilled in the art, the keystone cross-section is eliminated and a rectangular cross-section of the .coils of the helix is obtained. These coils are cut from the helix one at a time to form the separate washers. As illustrated in the accompanying drawings, the third washer from the'incoming stock 1 is removed after each successive coil is formed. I illustrate three coils 2, 3, and 4, of which the coil 4 will be removed by cutting in the plane 5, to form the separate washer 4 shown in Figures 3 and 4. This cut in the plane 5 is made so as to form the washer 4 with as narrow a gap 8 between the adjacent .washer ends as is practically In the form of device illustrated, the cut 8 is in a radial plane. I

When the washer 4 is cut from the coiled helix along the plane 5, the axial tension .is relieved and the adjacent ends of the washer snap slightly inwardly relative to each other so as to overlap slightly in the plane 5. In other words, the prolongation of the bottom helical surface 6 of the washer across the gap 8 would substantially enter, or lie slightly below, the upper helical surface 7. This construction provides a non-entangling washer in a plain pattern or, in other words, with ends of uniform cross-section; in fact the whol washer throughout is of uniform crosssection in the form shown in Figures 1 to 9 of the accompanying drawings. To my knowledge, washers which are non-entangling have not heretofore been made in a plain pattern or with their entire end sec tions of uniform cross-section. The reasons "for the impossibility of entanglement between washers ofthe described construction are illustrated in the accompanying drawings and will now be described in detail.

The most fertile source of entangling in devices of this kind occurs when two washers abut edge to edge with the g, ps between the ends of the split segments forming a substantially straight continuous opening. Such a condition is illustrated in Figure 5 in which the washer 4 is shown in a position relative to a second washer 4',likely to produce entanglement except for the preventing thereof which is presented by my construction. These relative positions of these two washers are of two outstanding phases, viz., when the axes of the washers 4 and 4' are parallel, such as illustrated in Figure 8, and when the washers are tilted so that the helical surfaces at the ends of the washers are substantially parallel, as illustrated in Figure 9. This lastnamed condition is most likely to induce entanglement.

Referring particularly to Figure 8, it will be noted that the adjacent side faces of the washers 4 and 4 overlap to the extent of the area 9 upon one side of the gaps 8 and 8', and overlap to the extent of the area 10 upon the other side of the gaps 8 and 8'. In other words, the close coiling, and the smallness of the gaps 8 and 8, and the substantial prolongation of the helical plane of the bottom .face 6 of the washer 4 into the top face 7,

and the prolongation of the helical plane of the bottom face 6 of the washer 4' into the top face 7 produce the abutting areas 9 and 10, when the washers 4 and 4 are edge to edge with their axes substantially parallel and the gaps 8 and 8 in registry. If the washers are tilted, as shown in Figure 9, so that the planes of the helices at the ends are substantially parallel-a condition which reduces the extent of the overlaps at 11 and 12, as compared with the overlaps 9 and 10 in Figure 8-the additional overlaps 22 and 23 result which prevent entangling of the washers. A lateral shifting of one of the washers in Figure 9 with relation to theother washer would result in an increase of the extent of one of the areas 22 or 23 and a corresponding decrease in the other of said areas.

In the form of improvement shown in Figures 10 and 11, an additional function is introduced in that the ends of the washer 14 are made positive. In other words, the usual nut-engaging end 17, and preferably both the nut-engaging end 17 and the work-engaging end 18, are out-turned so as to form nibs providing terminal edges which positively engage the nut and the work and prevent rotation of the washer. However, the adjacent inner edges of the two ends of the washer remain unchanged from the form shown in Figures 1 to 9 except that the terminal portion of the lower face 16 projected across the gap 8a lies somewhat above the terminal portion of the upper face 15 inasmuch as the additional hindrance to entaglement provided by the positive nibs 17 and 18 renders unnecessary quite such close coiling or the same amount of initial tension, as is required of the washers shown in Figures 1 to 9 which have plain unaltered ends.

In the positive type of washer shown in.

Figures 10 and 11, the out line is not in a radial plane. Such angular out line presents an additional bar to entangling if, when two washers lie edge to edge, the cut lines intersect at an angle. However, if one of such adjacent Washers is reversed face for face, the out line angularity is cancelled and the two gaps 8a lie in substantially a straight line. Such a condition increases the probability of entanglement in washers not made by my improved process and of my improved construction. As isalso true of the form of washer shown in Figures 1 to 9, it will be seen that each washer is formed of a split ring segment of substantially but not exceeding 360 in any cylindrical surface about the axis of the segment and passing through the cut 8.

The positive-end type of non-entangling washer is made by a process of winding differing in some respects from that used in making the plain pattern. In making this positive type, the stock is wound in horizontal planes, instead of in vertical planes, and

the second washer from the incoming stock is removed after each successive coil is formed, instead of the third washer. As the successive washers are cut from the coiled material, the positive ends are formed incident to the cutting operation. The stock is so wound and out, however, that the top face of one end, when the washer is positioned for use, lies substantially in the helical plane of the bottom face of the other end or slightly below the terminal portion of the bottom face of the other end.

What I claim is: 1. A process of forming non-entangling spring Washers comprising, coiling the washer stock into closely coiled helical formation, subjecting the washer stock to axial tension, the axial tensioning of each portion of the stock being effected immediately before the coiling thereof, and then cutting the coiled stock into split ring segments not exceeding 360, the axial tensioning being effected by bending the stock out of the helical formation and axially toward the coil, but not substantially beyond the plane perpendicular to the coil axis and passing through the place of bending in the outermost helical surface of the coiled stock, and said cutting being such that the gap between the ends of each segment is sufliciently small so that the washers will not interlink in handling.

2. A process of forming non-entangling spring washers comprising, coiling the washer stock into a coil of close helical formation, subjecting the washer stock to axial tension, the axial tensioning of each portion of the stock being effected immediately before the coiling thereof, and then cutting the coiled stock into split ring segments of substantially but not exceeding 360 in any cylindrical surface about the coil axis and passing through the cut, the axial tensioning being effected by bending the stock out of the -helical formation and axially toward the coil, but not substantially beyond the plane perpendicular to the coil axis. and passing through the place of bending in the outermost helical surface of the coiled stock.

3. A process of making non-entangling spring washers comprising, coiling the washer stock into a coil of close helical formation, subjecting the washer stock to axial tension,

ward the coil, but not substantially beyond the plane perpendicular to the coil axis and passing through the place of bending in the outermost helical surface of the coiled stock,- and said cutting and said forming being such that the gap between the ends of'each' segment is sufliciently small so that the washers will not interlink in handling.

4. A process of forming non-entangling spring washers comprising, coiling the washer stock into a coil of helical formation, subjecting the washer stock to axial tension, the axial tensioning of each portion of the stock being effected immediately before the coiling thereof, then. cutting the coiled stock in a plane not passing through the coil axis into split ring segments of substantially but not exceeding 360 in any cylindrical surface about the coil axis and passing through the cut, and forming a nut-engaging nib at one end of each segmentcontemporaneously with the cutting ofthe segment, the axial tension ing being effected by bending the stock out of the helical formation and axially toward the coil, but not substantially beyond the lane perpendicular to the coil axis and passmg through the place of bending in the outermost helical surface of the coiled stock.-

5. A process of forming non-entangling spring washers comprising, coiling the washer stock into a coil of helical formation, subjectingthe washer stock to .axial tension, the axial tensioning of each portion of the stock being effected immediately before the coil ing thereof, and then cutting. the coiled stock into split ring segments notexceeding360", the axial tensioning being effected by bending the stock out of-the helical formation and axially toward the coil to an extent such as to cause the ends of each segment, whenthe segment is cut, to spring toward each 

